Method of making skate-keys.



W. H. NEEDHAM.

METHOD OF MAKING SKAT-E KEYS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20. 1917.

1 ,26 1, 1 53m Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

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WILLIAM H. NEEDI-IAM, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 BOSTON PRESSEID METAL (10., 015 WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

METHOD OF MAKING SKATE-KEYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

Application filed June 20,1917. Serial No. 175,733.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. NEED- HAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Method of Making Skate Keys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a method of making a skate key from a single piece of sheet metal.

The article itself is not claimed herein as forms the subject matter of a divisional application Serial No. 186,7 83, filed by me August 17, 1917.

It is the general object of my invention to improve the construction of articles of this type and to provide a cheaper and more effective method of manufacture therefor.

With this general object in view, my invention consists in certain constructions and methods of manufacture hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of my invention is shown in the drawings in which Figures 1 and 2 are front and side elevations respectively of the key blank after the first operation has been performed;

Figs. 3 and 4 are a side elevation and end view of the key blank after the second operation has been performed;

Figs. 5 and 6 are a side elevation and end view after the third operation has been completed, and

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are front and side eleva- ]tions and end view of the completed skate In manufacturing my improved key I form the same from a single piece of sheet metal and entirely by pressing and punching operations. The first operation forms the blank shown in Figs. 1 and 2, said blank comprising a thumb-piece 10, a ribbed shank port1on 11 and an enlarged rounded end portion 12 disposed at a slight angle to the parts 10 and 11. The part 10 may be cut out as indicated at 13 and 14 so that it may conveniently serve as a wrench.

For the next operation the blank is placed upon a die in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 and apunch having a rounded end is brought down upon the blank, pressing it into the die and leaving it in the shape shown in full lines in Figs. 3 and 1. The blank portion 12 is formed into a cup 15 and the shank portion 11 and thumb-piece are bent upward nearly to the vertical position. The parts are left at a slight angle from the vertical, however, in order to provide clearance for the punch in this and the suc ceeding operations. The object of forming the blank 12 at an angle to the shank 11 is to facilitate the forming of the cup 15 and the bending of the shank 11 to the position shown in Fig. 3.

The third operation consists in punching a square hole 16 in the lower end of the cup 15, as shown in Fig. 6, the hole being of the same size as the skate shaft for which the key is designed.

For the last operation the partially formed key is laid horizontally upon a special die block and a cooperating punch is brought down upon the key to produce the finished article. In this operation the cup 15 is transformed into the four-sided tubular portion 17 fitting the skate shaft, and the shank portion 11 is offset to bring the thumb-piece 10 substantially into alinement with the axis of the key. This fourth operation completes the formation of the key.

1 am thus enabled to form a skate key of unusual strength and utility from a single piece of sheet metal by a series of four simple operations. These operations may all be performed with great rapidity and the skate key shown in Figs. 7 to 9 can thus be manufactured at an extremely low cost.

While I have indicated herein the preferred steps in the formation of my improved skate key, certain novel features of the article itself are not necessarily limited to the particular steps by which it is formed, as it will be evident to those skilled in the art that a similar article may be produced by a different series of steps, and therefore I do'not wish to-be limited to the details of operation or construction herein disclosed otherwise than as set forth in the claims.

What I do claim is 1. The process of making a sheet metal skate key which consists in making a blank, forming a cup at one end of said blank, perforating the bottom of said cup to fit the skate shaft, and finally shaping the sides of said cup to fit said shaft.

2. The process of making a sheet metal skate key which consists in making a blank with a shank portion and having one end portion at-a slight angle to said shank portion, ttorlning-a-eup from saidend portion, perforating the bottom of said cup to fit the skate shaft, and thereafter pressingthe sides of said cap into tubular form with an opening therethrough also fitting saidshaft.

3. The process of making a Sheet metal skate key WhlCll eonslsts in making a blank,

comprising a thu1nb-pieee, a ribbed shank portion, and an end portion joining said shank portion at a slight angle, bending said end portion to form an approximate right angle With said shank portion and simultaneously forming a. cup ifrom sa'id end portion, :penforating said cup, compressing the walls of said cup to form flat-sided tubular portion having an opening of the same size as said perforation, and simultaneously offsetting said shank portion to bring the thumb-piece into axial position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afiixed my signature,

WILLIAM H. NEEDHAM.

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